Best math manipulatives for early elementary?

[PeachyDoodle]

We're going to be using CLE math with ds starting with K, but I would like to supplement with hands-on activities and manipulatives for at least the first couple of years. What have been your favorites? Is there a nice, reasonably priced set with a variety of materials out there?

 

I know RS and MUS, among others, use lots of manipulatives, but I think CLE is a better fit for ds overall and I'm not sure if those materials are easily used outside their respective programs. (And by the time we purchase them, it seems like we'd just as well get the whole thing anyway!)

[Kiara.I]

The RS abacus can be used alongside any other program, but you would have to teach a bit how to use it.  Some of the strategies wouldn't be readily apparent to the child, probably.

 

Like the 2-fives strategy, where if you're adding two numbers five or greater, you enter one on each of the top two rows of the abacus.  Then you can see that the blue 5 and the blue 5 make 10, and you can easily read the answer by just looking at the number of yellow beads used.

 

That's a bit farther ahead, though.  For K to start with we used (we do RS) the tally sticks and the 1-inch tiles a lot.  There was introduction of the abacus but not a heavy focus until a bit farther on.

[LMCme]

I enjoy the Montessori Stamp Game (you can get them from a variety of online retailers, including Amazon, or make your own) and the number strips.  As far as a set, it doesn't include either of those, but I like the Saxon Math manipulative set from Rainbow Resource Center.  It includes Teddy Bear Counters, pattern blocks, number lines, a hundred board, etc.

 

Best,

LMC

[Jess4879]

We purchased the Saxon math kit, thought we didn't use Saxon.  That kit has gotten a lot of use.  I didn't price check, so I'm not sure if it's the best deal out there, but I liked that it was everything all in one place.  My oldest is in grade 6 and the only thing we've added to that kit is a base 10 set. 

[Chris in VA]

Wooden pattern blocks or attribute blocks, inch tiles and cubes, a ruler, and some sort of counter. That's it.

 

Now, I'm a huge fan of natural materials and non-plastic--so my counters consist of small stones, shells, glass gems (my favorite--from the Dollar Store), mini pinecones, leaves, fabric flowers, wooden popsicle sticks in different sizes, marbles, buttons, and today in my class-----pussy willows. :lol:

[Sarah0000]

For K I would use c rods, ten frame (you can print one), counters from around the house, ruler, learning clock, and real money.

[Slache]

We use C Rods and love them so very much. I will introduce the AL Abacus for large number work when the time comes. Other than that I don't think we'll ever get more. We use real money, a real clock etc. He actually taught himself to tell time by running back forth between his analog clock and the stove. He became very upset when the time changed. :lol:

[Zoo Keeper]

C-rods, hundred flats (made my own from cardboard), and I love, love, love these whiteboards... primary, mid skills, graph skills. They have a number line, clock face, fraction strips, multiplication grid, place value chart that includes decimals, and lovely graphing surface (1 cm squares).  Wonderful for teaching concepts and working out math homework.

[Junie]

The only manipulative that I have used over and over (and over!) are fraction circles.  Teaching the dc that 1/2 is bigger than 1/4 needed a visual representation.

[PeachyDoodle]

Thanks, everyone. I really like the look of the Saxon sets -- and surprisingly we actually have some of those things already (anybody else have so much stuff in their house they forget it's there??? sheesh!). Much of the rest I think I could make or get similar from the Dollar Tree. So maybe I can diy my own set and only need to buy one or two things! :hurray:

 

Loooove the ideas for different kinds of fun counters -- thank you, Chris!!

 

Anybody have a good resource for learning to teach with c-rods? What's the difference between c-rods and a base-10 set?

[Chris in VA]

C-Rods are not divided by any markings. They are solid. Each rod has a different color. They are all one unit longer than the next, up to 10.

 

Base Ten set has units (single, little cubes), tens rods (a rod of ten all "glued together" with the dividing lines) and flats of 100 (a square of 10 rods all "glued together to make a flat" with each little unit and rod marked).

[Hobbes]

We don't use MUS, but we love the MUS blocks and use them often. They look like base ten sets, but have all numbers 1-10, as well as hundreds, and each number is a different colour. They are our go-to manipulative with MM and see a lot of use from smaller kids playing with them as well... a wonderful way to discuss numbers concretely early on.

[sbgrace]

C-rods would be my number one choice. Education Unboxed free online has videos to show you how to use them for various concepts. http://www.educationunboxed.com/C-rods can be used to teach so much!

 

I liked those geared clocks. I also had base 10 blocks with the hundred flats and thousand cubes. I used RightStart, and the abacus is central to that program. But I think using it without the program would take some learning. I have a lot of manipulatives.

 

But my most used item would be c-rods. Using those with education unboxed would add a lot to CLE.

 

Another suggestion is to add Singapore FAN math books for word problems to your CLE, though maybe not at the very beginning. CLE is weak in word problems, and FAN math is a great resource.

[mountains27]

C-rods, hands down! such a great visual for my struggling math student

[PeachyDoodle]

C-rods would be my number one choice. Education Unboxed free online has videos to show you how to use them for various concepts. http://www.educationunboxed.com/C-rods can be used to teach so much!

 

I liked those geared clocks. I also had base 10 blocks with the hundred flats and thousand cubes. I used RightStart, and the abacus is central to that program. But I think using it without the program would take some learning. I have a lot of manipulatives.

 

But my most used item would be c-rods. Using those with education unboxed would add a lot to CLE.

 

Another suggestion is to add Singapore FAN math books for word problems to your CLE, though maybe not at the very beginning. CLE is weak in word problems, and FAN math is a great resource.

 

Those videos are great -- thanks! Definitely going with some c-rods. Math is not my strong suit, and I find it much more difficult to teach the very basic concepts than the more advanced ones, for some reason. I think that between those and the things we have on hand or can make/be creative with we will be in good shape. I'm getting excited now!

 

I've already looked at some Singapore resources to beef up CLE's word problem issue, although I think we're a year away from those, at least. Hadn't come across the FAN series though. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[calihil]

A ten frame (you can't Google and print one) and counters have been the most helpful for us. Also the AL abacus, c rods, and XtraMath.org.

[TX Native]

We used dominoes quite a bit. Usually adding one side to the other. Sometimes I would pull out all the number bonds on the domino face for a certain number, let's say 10 would be 0l10, 1l9, 2l8 etc..., and add in a few that didn't belong. I would have dc pull out the correct number bonds for the focus number. A deck of cards can be used instead of the RS "Go to the Dump" cards for learning addition facts for 10. Later, dc counted quite a bit with cards playing blackjack (21). The RS abacus is great for visualizing sets of 5s and 10s. We used nickel and dimes or the RS abacus for skip counting by 5s, and 10s. Real coins for counting money or exchanging ones/10s/hundreds using pennies,dimes, and Susan B. Anthony dollars. A yardstick or meter stick was used as an enlarged number line.